Metformin is orally effective in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Metformin is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for the therapeutic treatment of diabetes. The chemical name of Metformin is N,N-dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide. It is a biguanide, anti-hyperglycemic agent currently marketed in the United States in the form of its hydrochloride salt, 1,1-dimethylbiguanide hydrochloride.
Metformin is known to improve insulin action at the cellular level, but not affect insulin secretion. Metformin does not promote weight gain and has beneficial effects on several cardiovascular risk factors. Accordingly, Metformin is widely regarded as the drug of choice for most patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Despite the effectiveness of Metformin as a diabetes medication, it nonetheless suffers from some drawbacks. While Metformin is the first line therapy for diabetes, its rapid clearance from plasma requires multiple high doses for continued active plasma concentrations. In particular, while Metformin is effectively taken up in the small intestine, it is poorly absorbed in the colon (Marathe, Br. J. Clin., Pharmacol., 50, 325-332 (2000)). As a result, the time window for effective plasma concentrations of Metformin is limited. Because of this narrow absorption window, metformin is typically prescribed to be taken about 2-3 times a day.
For this and other reasons, Metformin has potential uses that are not being fully exploited. The present disclosure addresses many of these shortcomings.